Excel Arms 5.7x28mm Rifle | SHOT 2017

Another interesting find down in the depths of the lower floor of Shot Show 2017 is Excel Arms. They make a line of firearms chambered in .22LR, .22WMR and now 5.7x28mm. It uses the Five Seven pistol magazine to feed the blow back system. As you can see below the system is somewhat modular and they offer California compliant models.

The new CX-5.7R California models retail at $874 while the standard AR style is only $795. They are also working on a 9mm version that uses Glock magazines.

Excel Arms also offers a line of Accu-Tek .380 pistols. It is similar in style to the Walther PPK/S. One major difference is the magazine release is a heel catch rather than thumb release.

Stainless models are only $289 while their aluminum framed versions are $324.

Co-Founder of KRISSTALK forums, an owner’s support group and all things KRISS Vector related. Nick found his passion through competitive shooting while living in NY. He participates in USPSA and 3Gun. He loves all things that shoots and flashlights. Really really bright flashlights.

Any questions please email him at nicholas.c@staff.thefirearmblog.com

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Kovacs Jeno

“Excel Arms also offers a line of Accu-Tek .380 pistols. It is similar in style to the Walther PPK/S. One major difference is the magazine release is a heel catch rather than thumb release.”

And obviously NO double action. These are saturday night specials.

clampdown

Yeah, kinda suspect, especially when you can get a Bersa for VERY little more.

gunsandrockets

all steel (so heavy), single action, and still California legal

Considering what little variety remains legal in the California marketplace, I won’t knock the pistol

Joe

No 20 pound initial pull is a good thing; if they moved the safety to the frame I might be interested.

Nick

The whioe point of the 5.7×28 was for it to be used in a compact PDW, then later a pistol. Having it in a big clunky rifle seems to be a bit ridiculous considering in the same size package you can use a cheaper and more powerful caliber.

tts

Pistol cartridge carbines/rifles have always been a sort of odd duck but they’re also quite nice to shoot and do serve a purposes for those who don’t need or want a rifle cartridge shooting rifle but do need or want something better than a pistol.

Dougscamo

Not really that odd….remember Model ’73 and Model 92 Winchesters?….to name a few more common pistol cartridge rifles and carbines….
The ’73 was so popular that Colt produced a variant of their 1873 SA Army in .44/40…

Jared Vynn

I think the higher capacity for the same length magazine tube was a factor that is largely missing from box fed rifles. There is still a weight saving in using pistol cartridges though.

tts

Oh yes they’re very popular and I like them. From a purely utilitarian standpoint they’re odd since they’re not as powerful as today’s light/assault rifles but still around the same size and/or weight.

valorius

The advantage they can offer- which is a huge advantage- is commonality of caliber and magazine for your rifle and sidearm.

Steve Truffer

It offers .22 mag performance without the issues of a rimfire, and at a minor increase in price. Around here (central VA), they’re equally availible.

valorius

The five seven pistol offers .22 mag rifle performance. From a rifle/carbine, 5.7x28mm with hot ammo is about 2x as powerful as .22 mag is.

Edeco

I like the concept of a PCC or large pistol with foregrip, brace if wanted. Problem is there aren’t many dead-serious offerings, like locking breach or delayed and proportionally light weight and compact. More warmed up old SMG’s, trainer/plinker versions of AR’s, stuff made like camping supplies.

But Habib*, you say, why would pay the price of a 5.56 and ask for only 9mm? Well, it’d have be the kind of person who’d rather a Lotus 7 kit car than a Camaro; certain kind of connoiseur.

*Habib P. Edeco

abecido

I’d like to see the original PDW, the M1 Carbine, chambered in 5.7×28.

Cymond

How about 5.7×33, aka 22 Spitfire. It was actually a thing back in the 60s. I saw one at a gun show once, including the reloading dies.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_Spitfire

valorius

That would be very cool.

supergun

I alway thought,,,why not have the 5.56 instead.

Ben Pottinger

Ever shot a really short 5.56? My 10.5″ SBR is downright *stunning* to shoot without a suppressor attached. Plus the lower recoil, etc.

The way some people argue against pistol caliber carbines on gun forums you’d think everyone was constantly getting into gun battles with body armor equipped PMCs.

Plus, without full auto what use is a 556 when you can use a 308 for nearly the same weight. And if it’s a bolt gun why use 308 when you can use 300WM, or why use….

Apparently I’m not the only one who likes them considering the number of mp5 clones, the new Sig carbine, the new Scorpion, and the popularity of the folding keltec rifle among others.

valorius

hot 5.7x28mm will penetrate any level IIIA vest around from the five seven pistol, let alone from a carbine.

supergun

I gave my wife a FN FIVE SEVEN PISTOL. She calls it her Belgium. Awesome round for a pistol. Better than a 5.56. But I will take my COLT CRX 5.56 16 inch AR 15 that will shoot bullets in bullet holes at 100 yards. It has just a little bit more recoil, but with the special tip on the end, I can’t tell. It is a stronger bullet than the 5.7. The 5.56 is much much lighter than a 308 even though I love that round,,,,my 5.56 Colt will shoot that round also in the same magazine. That round is equal or better that the AK 47. So I can carry a lot light weapon and 3 times more bullets than a 308,,,,but I can also shoot the 308 bullet out of my Colt. The recoil is,,,,,well not very much on that round either. So you tote your heavy ass 308 and bullets all day and I will carry my COLT 5.56 and FN Five Seven Pistol and still be lighter than you. And I will get the job done just as good. Dead is Dead.

Moonman46

believe me or not I have actually read forum arguments where some moron argued for the adoption of the 5.7 cartridge in place of the 5.56 for military service. the scariest part where was people were agreeing with him.

valorius

5.7mm was always intended as a military cartridge, but i wouldn’t replace 5.56mm with it.

Moonman46

the primary point was that the ‘velocity of the projectile would make up for the lack of mass’ and the switch from 5.56 to 5.7 would basically be the next stage in evolution in 30.06 > 7.62×51 > 5.56 > 5.7.

valorius

It wouldn’t surprse me if at some point in the future that happened, after all, that was the same exact logic that caused 5.56mm to get picked to begin with. If a cartridge with the exact same design of M855A1 and M80A1 was fielded in 5.7mm it would in fact be a much more capable cartridge than it is now.

Moonman46

I want a colt monitor 🙁

valorius

I wasn’t even aware that weapon existed. Pretty neat.

iksnilol

Weight reduction, bruh.

Moonman46

just think of how many more bullets you could carry!

valorius

From a long barrel 5.7x28mm rounds can exceed 3100fps, with virtually no recoil and the ability to shoot tremendously fast while staying dead on target. I love the idea.

tts

For the rifles I wish they would’ve gone with .22TCM instead of 5.7x28mm. They perform very similarly but .22TCM tends to cost less. Around $18 for a box of 50rd instead of around $20 for 5.7x28mm which isn’t huge but adds up fast if you shot it with any regularity. Availability seems pretty good these days too. And .22TCM pistol mags aren’t hard to find either now as well so compatibility there would’ve been sweet too.

Seems nice enough for a blowback pistol cartridge rifle either way though.

Jared Vynn

I don’t think 22tcm could be safely done as a blowback, but it should be possible to use a standard BCG with a carbine or pistol gas system.

tts

My understanding is .22TCM operates at about 38,000psi while 5.7x28mm operates at 50,000psi so if you can do a blowback 5.7x28mm rifle you should be able to do a .22TCM blowback rifle too.

Jared Vynn

22tcm is around the same pressure as .223 Remington I believe. And with a larger rim the 22tcm has more bolt thrust and would need a 2.5lb bolt while 5.7×28 just needs a 1.5lb bolt for a blowback.

tts

.223Remington has a pressure of 55,000psi though right?

Jared Vynn

Yeah, using a powley computer I get an estimate of 51,000 psi for TCM for a factory 40gr bullet.

tts

Everything I turn up says .22TCM has a 38,000psi chamber pressure though for factory loads though?

Jared Vynn

It’s possible the powley computer is too high, it wasn’t really made with pistol cartridges in mind and stops at IMR 4227 powder (similar to h110 and what TCM uses). The bolt thrust is still the issue though, a 9mm BCG for an ar15 is 14oz while the 5.7 uses a 2lb BCG for the ar57 and the 22tcm would need an even heavier BCG to compensate for the higher bolt thrust.

tts

Well lets say your other number (51,000psi) is correct for .22TCM. We know that 5.7x28mm has a pressure a bit lower than that and it works fine in blowback guns without having a onerously huge and heavy BCG or heavy springs.

That isn’t proof positive of course but it does strongly suggest a .22TCM blowback gun wouldn’t require anything impractical to do.

De Facto

The Armscor bolt action rifle that is chambered for the 22tcm has a bolt that is only rated for 38,000 PSI, so I think the Powley computer is likely off.

Anonymoose

Why not do it in an MP5 clone? MKEK ought to be in on this!

Ben Pottinger

Does anyone still make solids for 22 caliber anymore? I know the ATF bullied Barnes Bullets about their brass solids for 223 a while back because people were loading them into 5.7 cases. Honestly I’d be surprised if any non-varmint 22tcm or 5.7 loads *didn’t* easily punch through IIA and probably IIIA.

For some reason I can’t figure out I really want that 22tcm bolt gun they make.

tts

A quick n’ dirty google brings up some small time high priced guys like Cutting Edge Bullets who seem to have what you’re interested in. I’ve never used them though.

Brass projectiles always seemed too expensive to me to shoot anyways.

Martin Grønsdal

Which one is the california legal? Hahahah

Porty1119

The one without a freestanding pistol grip. It actually looks really nice for a ban-compliant stock on a rifle that doesn’t require a buffer tube.

Martin Grønsdal

Duh 🙂

ColonelColt

If they offered one of these as a pistol that can accept an arm brace and has a 10″ barrel, I would be interested. 5.7×28 is a pretty good trapping cartridge; it’s basically a souped up modern .22 Hornet in that regard.

Jared Vynn

You might like 22tcm, similar to 22 hornet and 5.7×28 but it has an oal of ~1.3 which makes it about as long as 45 ACP.

The 22tcm has a little performance edge over the 5.7 as well, over 2,000 ft/s with a 40 gr out of a 5 inch barrel and around 2,800 ft/s out of an 18 inch.

GD Ajax

22 TCM is a lame attempt to get miliage out of a dead pistol platform. Except for a few esoteric fanbois of the 1911.

Jared Vynn

Or it’s a smart cartridge design that can be used in existing handguns unlike the 5.7×28. And the 1911 is far from being a dead platform.

And if you prefer Glocks there is a conversion kit available, there is also a steel or polymer tangfolio in 22tcm as well it isn’t just for the 1911 platform.

GD Ajax

Once again, esoteric mall ninja round. 6.5mm CBJ did the same thing and didn’t take off with as much popularity with like 5.7×28 did either.

Jared Vynn

Just because you label something as mallninja doesn’t make it so. 22tcm isn’t some oddball wannabe tactical round, it fills a niche of PDW style cartridges that have existed for decades. 6.5 CBJ and 5.7 never got the widespread military/law enforcement adoption of other cartridges but that didn’t mean they failed in anyway. 22tcm is a natural evolution of the .223 Remington and 30 carbine concept.

GD Ajax

Ah. No 22tcm is not. That’s what mall ninja fanbois said about .300 BLK, 6.8 SPC, and 6.5mm Grendel. All have failed to gain adoption while 5.7mm and 5.56mm is still going strong.

TCM is not based on the .223. It’s just a necked down .45acp APC cartridge with a necked down 5.56mm stuff into it. Meant to keep two dying gun platforms a float.

They also the same about the Honey Badger and that it was some how superior to the P90 and the MP5.

Yet the both the MP5 and P90 is still in service while the Honey Badger is forgotten vaporware outside of video games, i.e. Call of Duty. Also rifles meant for .300 BLK end up scrapped like that version of the SIG MCX.

zardoz711

2/10
pretty obvious trolling but I’ll knock out out for ya
6.5 Grendel is alive and well in the Pricision Rifle Series

Jared Vynn

Both 300 blk and 6.5 grendel have seen adoption. And only a fool would call 300 blk a failure given how widespread it has become. You are a complete fool, I actually own and reload 22tcm and it is a 223 case and even uses the same shell plate and in the 1911 it uses a 9mm slide and 38 super magazines. You are clearly ignorant on the subject and I would advise you to let the adults talk. In my uploaded picture the TCM shell is on the left followed by a 5.7×28, a 22 hornet, and a 9mm inside a 40s&w inside a 45 ACP https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/14ff5708465611975c58196cb83e4ce2d3a0153fcce96c1d4bd7e394e1fa7133.jpg

You have no clue what you are talking about.

GD Ajax

Nope still fanboi BS. Maybe you should stop claiming to be an adult. Anybody can smurf a disqus account these days and become a walker advertiser for crap only mall ninjas buy.

Widespread. You mean old fat guys and COD players? Who hang on to the fact that an SMU adopting a bullet equals “widespread adoption”.
Looks as puny as the wiki articles written up by fanbois says it should. Nothing that will penetrate 3a body armor or has enough knock down power to kill the guy wearing it. It’s just another passing fad that will result in nothing.

Jared Vynn

Can’t address my points as you know they are factual eh? So instead you strawman talking points irrelevant to the discussion. No one but you brought up body armor or knock down power. You have been proven wrong multiple times time for you to admit defeat.

De Facto

The .22TCM stands a better chance of adoption and use than 6.5 CBJ or the FN 5.7 for the simple reason that the inventor of the cartridge made his data PUBLIC and encourages reloading. The 6.5 CBJ and the 5.7 both did the opposite, and are remaining niche cartridges for that very reason.

22TCM on the other hand, seems to be gaining some traction, and RIA shows no signs of discontinuing it – apparently in the phillipines it’s quite popular.

Whereas the 5.7 and the 6.5 CBJ are popular… nowhere.

Have a nice night.

int19h

As far as 6.5 Grendel “failing to gain adoption”, all you really need to know is that Wolf makes cheap steel-cased 6.5 Grendel ammo. And Wolf doesn’t make exotic rounds.

tts

Huh? .22TCM isn’t tied to any particular pistol platform unlike 5.7x28mm. You don’t need a 1911 style pistol to use it at all. Blowback or HiPower Browning style tilting locks work fine.

The argument for .22TCM is that it performs similarly to 5.7x28mm but costs less and has better availability. That and its more reload friendly if you like reloading though don’t mistake that for me saying its easy to do.

You have to treat .22TCM with care, like its a high powered rifle cartridge when reloading (so be super duper extra careful with powder measurements + type), but it still reloads easier and more safely than 5.7x28mm as far as I know (cases don’t seem lengthen or blow out as much + the finish on the exterior of the case doesn’t seem to matter with .22TCM unlike 5.7x28mm even after several reloads).

GD Ajax

That is 22 TCM 9R. Which means that they couldn’t fit in a Glock sized pistol after all. It just another fanboi bullet in the vein of 357. Sig.
5.7mm isn’t two separate bullets make it seem their the same thing.

tts

Yeah they couldn’t fit it into a Glock but that doesn’t mean its tied to a 1911 platform.

AFAIK they chose the 1911 platform to debut it on because that is what they were already making + people know and like the 1911 platform in general.

I purchased an Accu-Tek .380 when they first came on the market back in the early 1990’s (1994 if my memory serves) and it was the biggest piece of junk that I ever wasted my money on. It could reliably be expected to go “click” whenever you were expecting to hear a “bang”. Whenever I could get the damned thing to fire I never got it to fire more than two shots in a row before it would malfunction again. Never again will that company see a dime of my money.

valorius

A 5.7mm carbine using Five Seven magazines is a great idea. Something that i wish had been around when i owned my Five Seven pistol.

Secundius

Sandy Gun Works produces a Modified M1 Carbine 5.7 Johnson “Spitfire”, Rechambered in FN 5.7×28 with 16-inch barrel. In Paratrooper Stock Configuration, you have a Greatly Extended Range Pistol. That can Also use Standard .30-caliber Magazines, up to 30-rounds. A 7.92×33 kurz is in the works…

Wow!

I think the 5.7 has a lot of potential as a self defense round for weaker or disabled people but the lack of options and price of available options drive most away. If people start using it more often it might help drive the costs down. Personally I think MPA beat these guys with a 5.7 MAC which is more compact and useful than a carbine, and AR57 made the best non p90 carbine in 5.7 already, but I won’t hate on anyone bringing more attention to the 5.7

Secundius

Actual Difference is in the Price! GunBroker has a FN PS90 in 5.7×28 for ~$1,480.99 USD while IAI of Houston has a M888 (M1A1) 5.7 Johnson “Spitfire” in FN 5.7×28 for ~$599.99 USD with Birch Stock and ~$692.99 with Walnut Stock…